When children walk into your life, the first thing that grabs its coat and heads for the door is spontaneity. Those heady carefree days are over. And to be honest, that suited me fine. I hate doing things on a whim. But my impetuous wife is the opposite. For her, planning begins and ends in the seat of our pants – which is why we're rushing to Dover on a wintry Saturday morning to catch a ferry to France. Why? Because three days earlier she'd won a free crossing, and that was all the prompting she needed. But where will we stay? What will we do? Will it be cold? So many known unknowns. But I do have one fact to work with. And it's a good one. I'm driving Volvo's lavish yet economical S80 – a car built to munch miles of open road without a peep of discomfort.

After crossing a glassy Channel, we snake out of Calais and pick up one of the rail-like roads that sweep across the fields of Flanders. I click on the adaptive cruise control, adjust my heated seat, settle back and wait until we hit, um, oh yes, Lille. Yes, why not…

You can't accuse the S80 of being boastful. It's a super smart, street-savvy car that's loaded to the eyeballs with technology, yet from the outside it has as much style clout as that shapeless office cardi that gets passed around when it's chilly. But it deserves better, because under that anodyne exterior the S80 has several remarkable tricks up its shapeless sleeves.

First up is safety. Well, of course. It's a Volvo. You can't move without lights flashing and warnings being issued. The spec sheet is littered with more acronyms than a draft EU legislation. WHIPS, PCC, BLIS, ROPS, DSTC, CWBS, IC… Volvo has thought of more ways for you to get into trouble on the road than you could imagine – and made contingency plans for them all. There is nothing "seat of the pants" about a Volvo. And that's good by me.

Second is economy. The S80 DRIVe sits at the top of Volvo's green line-up. It's huge yet has a tiny engine. Its 1.6-litre turbodiesel emits just 108bhp, but that gives you all the performance you'll ever need. It'll whisk you to 120mph in 11 seconds and deliver almost 60 miles to a single gallon. A whiffling 120g of CO2 per km means you pay only £35 in road tax.

In all it's a lovely relaxing car to drive and I'd have been happy to cruise the open French highways all day, but Juliet still had plans to make on the hoof. There were waffles and crêpes to be eaten, a Christmas market to be stripped bare and booze to buy. And she also had a sentimental journey to make…

A soldier of the Great War: the children looking at their great uncle's grave. Photograph: Observer

Her great uncle Reg was killed a fortnight after the Battle of Arras in 1917. He was a 19-year-old farmer from Somerset and now he's buried alongside 735 other young men, including one German, in an immaculate cemetery outside the tiny village of Douchy-Les-Ayette. We found his grave and stood quietly together in the weak sun as a tractor tilled the field behind. Reg had never left Somerset before he came to France. But now he's been here for almost 95 years. And it still feels a long way from home.

Driven by the stars

Do you drive like a Gemini? What car are you likely to own if you are an Aries? Confused.com has consulted an astrologer and has revealed the most popular car choices for the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

Aquarians, known for their eccentric streak, are 30% more likely to drive a Peugeot 106 than any other star sign. A Rover 620 is likely to be their second choice. Pisces, often regarded as alluring individuals are most likely to be seen in a sporty little number. Research shows that drivers of a Mazda 2 Sport are 31% more likely to be Pisceans. Always in search of adventure, the car of choice for an Aries is a Daewoo Kalos or an Alfa Romeo. If your star sign is Taurus you're probably cool, calm and collected, which is reflected in the most popular choice of car the Mazda 2 Tamura. Gemini's, described as curious, thirsty for knowledge and mischievous, are most likely to be seen in a Hyundai i30 Comfort than other star sign. Motorists carrying the Cancer star sign are most likely to drive a Vauxhall to complement their caring and sensitive side. Regarded as charismatic and fortunate it is no surprise that Leo's are more likely to drive a Land Rover than other star signs. The British classic complements their traits perfectly. Virgo drivers, described as confident, successful and creative, are more likely to drive a Lexus and Scorpions, who are known to be wise, are 40% more likely than other star signs to drive a Fiat 500, an economical car. Vauxhall Corsa is the most popular car choice of the thoughtful and happy-go-lucky Librans. Sagittarians are 30% more likely than average to drive a Subaru Optimistic than other star signs. Capricorns, are most likely to drive a Volkswagen Beetle, the popular car makes a statement, which contradicts their seemingly quiet nature.